2025 CELTIC CUP: DAY ONE RECAP
27th November 2025
The 2025 Celtic Cup began Wednesday with tremendous Netball on display in the same city that will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Five days of action is underway and if Day 1 was anything to go by the week promises to deliver on all fronts.
The opening match of the tournament featured two teams making their Celtic Cup debut with Uganda and Namibia locking horns. A close opening quarter saw the seventh ranked Uganda She Cranes take a narrow 13-10 lead to the first break. Star shooter Mary Cholhok was a target early and her matchup against Desert Jewels Captain Cornelia Mupenda was a feature.
The She Cranes put the pedal to the floor in the second quarter and established a double figure lead by halftime, 31-21. Changes aplenty in the third quarter saw all players take to the court in a bid to establish combinations for the week ahead. Namibia fought hard and had many entertaining passages of play utilising their athleticism however they were unable to chip away at the margin and Uganda went on to record a comfortable 65-38 victory. For her superb long-range shooting throughout She Cranes Goal Attack Shadia Nassanga was named player of the match.
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The Zimbabwe Gems defeated the Northern Ireland Warriors 57-40 in the middle match of Day One with a strong team effort that featured high percentage shooting and a swarming defence that proved they will be a difficult opponent for all. A tight 26-21 halftime score saw momentum shift quickly as the Gems produced a 14-9 third quarter to build a 40-30 lead at the last break. Sharon Bwanali and Ursula Ndlovu led the way at the attacking end for Zimbabwe while NSL’s Niamh Cooper did a power of work in defence for the Warriors. The Gems pulled away in the fourth quarter with a 17-10 stanza and an opening night victory. Bwanali was named player of the match after shooting a perfect 29/29 for the winners.
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The evening headliner saw old rivals Scotland take on 2024 champions Wales.
The two teams traded goals in a back and forth first quarter. Wales led early, Scotland had their own run of success and true to form, Wales fought back to level the scores at 15 after the first quarter.
The second quarter took on a familiar format. The Thistles line-up remained unchanged while the Feathers rang the changes throughout, rotating through Celyn Emanuel and Vicky Booth at Centre while both Millie Carter and Ellie Blackwell saw time at Goal Defence. For Scotland, the NSL connection of Hannah Leighton and Co-Captain Iona Christian were dynamic, leading to strong and accurate feeds into Emma Barrie and Niamh McCall.
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The third quarter was tense, and the margin never reached greater than three in favour of the home side until some inspired defensive work from Goal Keeper Cerys Finn gave the Thistles momentum as the three-quarter time break approached. 17-13 for the third quarter and a 46-41 lead at the last change.
The fourth quarter saw the Thistles cling to their lead while the Feathers tried valiantly to work their way back into the match. Led by a timely intercept to Phillipa Yarranton, they trimmed the deficit to three with three minutes remaining. The Thistles stood firm and showed resolve to record a stirring 62-54 result. Emma Barrie was named player of the match.
